She blushed.
Though a head taller than Dr. Barnes, who was not a short man, Meridan recognized the male was not as large as some of the Mahdfel warriors who worked at the facility. He was clearly muscular though. His broad shoulders and thick arms strained against the white lab coat.
Meridan drank his form in, unashamed as she stared. She worked with the Mahdfel every day and not a single one had made her ogle before. There was something about this one she couldn't put her finger on. He was just so appealing.
His gaze caught hers. Meridan should have blushed for getting caught checking him out but instead, she wrapped her arms around the clipboard, held it to her chest, and shivered. His eyes gleamed and the corner of his mouth tugged up in a smile ever so slightly. Had he checked her out? Did he like what he saw?
Why the hell should she care? Since when did she go all gooey eyed at the alien warriors like her sister? Get it together, she scolded herself.
The closer he got, the more she could see that he was young. Really young. Perhaps it was the contrast of his smooth, unlined face next to the white hair and wrinkles of Dr. Barnes. The alien was nearly boyish.
"Nurse Vargas," Dr. Barnes said as they approached. "Allow me to introduce Medic Kalen Halse from the Battle cruiser Judgment."
The alien gave her a curt nod.
"Nurse Vargas is one of our most capable members of staff. She’ll assist you during your rotation. I'll leave you in her hands."
Dr. Barnes left them then. Medic Kalen gave her a long, appraising look. His nostrils flared slightly. Meridan squirmed, wanting to meet his approval but not sure why. She had never really cared before if any of the aliens found her attractive. She had a job to do and that was that. No romantic entanglements. Yet this medic... His hungry gaze made her think he liked what he saw. That was suddenly super important to her.
"I suppose you're adequate," he said in a disdainful tone.
Well. The needle scratched the record of the soundtrack playing in her mind.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, too," she said through clenched teeth and a false smile. "Did you have an easy trip to Earth?"
"I do not have the time or the inclination to make diminutive talk." He gave a vague wave of his hand. "I am here only because my warlord commands it."
Meridan bought some time for her reply by examining the patient roster. "I'm sure the two weeks will fly by."
"It will be a chore. Earth medicine is barbaric. There is nothing for me to learn here."
"Maybe you're here to polish up your bedside manner," she snapped.
"My bedside behavior is excellent. I am an exceptional medic at bedsides and anywhere else."
Meridan had a sudden image of Kalen over her in her bed, skin all plum with his dark hair framing his face. She had an all-consuming need for that to happen.
No. Bad Meridan. Do not fantasize about the hot jerky doctor.
"Be that as it may," she coughed, clearing her throat, "we can make our weeks peaceful or difficult. Can we aim for peaceful?"
He snorted.
Difficult it was.
"This clinic treats pregnant human women and their Mahdfel children who live on the base. I thought we'd start out having you shadow a few patient exams today until you're comfortable with—"
He snatched the clipboard from her with a scoff. "That insult to my considerable skill and training will not be necessary. Terrans are simple. I have already reviewed Terran biology. I do not need to shadow. I am ready to see patients now. I am sure they will benefit from having a Mahdfel medic attend to them.”
“Good to know we have an expert,” she replied flatly. Any desire to have him in her bed was gone. Poof. “April Lynch is in Exam Room One. Send for me if you need assistance, but I’m sure that will be unnecessary on account of your considerable skill and training.”
That jerk actually preened. Unbelievable. His ego just refused to hear the sarcasm in her voice.
***
A wail of a woman in distress pierced the clinic. Meridan ran into the exam room. “What’s wrong?”
April Lynch sat on the table, belly rounded to the point of bursting, eyes red and hyperventilating. Doctor Terran’s-Are-Simple stood there, dumbstruck by the crying woman.
Meridan gave the woman a box of tissues and rubbed her back. “Can you tell me what happened, April?” she asked in her most soothing voice.
April bunched the tissues in her hands and wiped her running nose. She nodded but no words came out, just a hiccup and more sobbing.
“Take your time.” She grabbed the chart out of Kalen’s hands. Flipping through the screens, all the test results were normal. No disastrous issue stood out. “It looks like you have a healthy baby boy. He’s exactly what we want to see at this stage. What got you so upset?”
“I can’t sleep,” April finally said, voice hitching up at the end of each word.
“Back pain makes it difficult. If you like, I can show you some positions to try. We can order a lumbar support pillow, too.”
“I can’t sleep well because of the glowing. Is it normal to glow?”
“Of course you’re glowing, female,” Kalen grumbled, snatching the chart away from Meridan. “The amniotic fluid causes bioluminescence. Every simpleton knows this.”
April’s wail resumed.
“What is wrong with you,” Meridan hissed at Kalen. “Adding insult to injury is how you treat your patients?”
“She is not injured. She is perfectly healthy.”
Meridan rolled her eyes before focusing her efforts on calming the patient. “The glow is normal at this stage, April. You know your husband’s tattoo?”
April watched Meridan with red eyes. She nodded.
“It glows, right?” Meridan had never seen a glowing Mahdfel tattoo in person. That was something reserved for intimate partners, not co-workers. Daisy probably knew all about it. “It’s part of their genetic code. It’s nothing harmful, just a little surprising. Have you tried using a sleep mask?”
***
The green male burst into the waiting room. He carried his human mate in his massive arms, tail swishing side to side in agitation. “My mate is injured,” he roared. “Fix her at once.”
The woman squirmed in his arms. “I’m fine. Set me down.”
“You are not fine. You are defective. Where is the medic!” His lower tusks jutted up from his lower lip, gleaming in the light.
Meridan inserted herself between the male and the approaching Kalen. “If it’s an emergency, you will have to go to the emergency ward. We only take appointments.”
“I will not wait,” the male roared.
The woman beat a hand against her mate’s chest. “It’s not an emergency. I woke up in the living room and I tripped on Anatol’s toys. My ankle hurts but it’s no big deal.”
Kalen pushed past Meridan. “You wouldn’t have tripped if you’d been glowing properly, female.”
The woman gave Meridan a look that asked if the men were serious.
“Terran females,” the green male said with an overprotective grumble.
“Females,” the purple male agreed.
It was going to be a long shift.
Kalen
Terran biology was simple. Terran psychology, not so much. They needed to be coddled at every turn and constantly reassured that they were fine.
It was exhausting.
Take the current patient, for example. Early in her pregnancy, she exhibited all the signs of being hale and hearty, yet she sat in the exam room blubbering. Nurse Vargas held her hand and stroked her back while the woman cried. Nothing was medically wrong with her, yet she acted like the world was ending. It made no sense.
“Why did Hareck send me back? He doesn’t want me.” The woman began a fresh burst of blubbering.
“That’s not true,” Nurse Vargas said in a voice that would sooth a raging neyn. “The medic on his ship wasn’t familiar with human biology. He wants you to be safe and get the medica
l care you need.”
“I miss him so much. I don’t want to stay here.” More crying. If this was what having a Terran mate was like, he was glad to be single. He did not want a mate who required constant coddling. He needed someone capable. Someone who could work alongside him, not hinder him.
Nurse Vargas calmed the woman. They spoke to the absent Hareck in question and found him missing his mate as much as she missed him. Kalen was certain this would make the emotionally volatile woman worse but it brought a smile to her lips. Curious.
Nurse Vargas walked the woman out, clutching a bottle of prenatal vitamins. When she returned, a thunderous expression clouded her otherwise pleasant face. She snatched the chart from his hands. “What is wrong with you?”
Kalen wrinkled his brow in confusion. Surely she did not refer to an injury or illness. “I am an exceptional physician.”
“Well your bedside manner sucks. Flat out sucks.”
“You will not speak to a superior officer in such a manner.”
Her dark eyes flashed. She wore shapeless blue scrubs but they did a poor job of hiding her full chest or her round ass. Dark hair was pulled back into a practical braid but her face remained soft and open. Kalen found himself… intrigued by the Terran female.
“I’m a civilian and you’re not my superior. This blunt bullying routine may work on a battle cruiser but you need to learn how to talk to women.”
“I speak to females adequately.”
She scoffed, repeating his words in a mocking tone. “How about some basic human compassion. Empathy? Try to imagine what she’s going through?”
“Your lack of respect is unacceptable. I will report this.”
“Calling a patient a simpleton because she’s not an expert in xeno pregnancy is unacceptable.” Contempt laced every word.
Why did he find no offense? He’d knock a warrior out for a lesser slight, yet this small Terran woman and her refusal to be intimated compelled him. Curious.
“Nurse Vargas, it is time for the midday meal. Will you accompany me?”
Shocked registered on her face, followed by her eyes narrowing. “Fine,” her tone suspicious, “but this isn’t a regular lunch date. I’ll show you the cafeteria and then you’re on your own. It’s bad enough I have to work with you.”
Chapter Four
Kalen
“How is the loveliest Terran on the moon?” The warrior sat next to Nurse Vargas in the communal meal hall. Casually he plucked a fry off her plate.
“Shouldn’t you be flying a shuttle or something?” Meridan asked. The warrior gave her a brief one-armed hug, a very Terran gesture, and she leaned into the embrace. Displeasure rumbled in Kalen’s throat.
The communal meal hall was similar in form and function to his battle cruiser but Kalen followed her actions closely. Their work in the clinic that morning highlighted many areas of human behavior where Kalen could improve his knowledge. He remained with Nurse Vargas in case she had more to teach him. He’d even ordered the same lunch, which was how he ended up with a hamburger, fries and slice of cake with a scoop of ice cream. The Terran food was different but enjoyable.
Nurse Vargas did not seem to mind the warrior taking her food. Perhaps they were in a romantic relationship. A strange possessive rage clouded Kalen’s senses. He didn’t like the idea of sharing Meridan’s attention with any male. He observed them closely. She smiled but her pupils did not dilate. Her scent did not indicate attraction.
Kalen released the breath he did not realize he was holding, tension leaving his shoulders.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Meridan said. “That’s so rude of me. Let me introduce Medic Kalen Halse. He’s here for training. Kalen, this is Warrior Vox.”
Kalen held the warrior’s gaze. Vox was Sangrin in origin, like himself. He had a dusky purple complexion, wildly curling horns and a thick scar on his brow at the hairline. “You have acquired a significant injury,” he said. “Was your medic not skilled enough to heal it sufficiently?”
Vox glanced questionably at Meridan. “He doesn’t think I’m pretty?”
She laughed. It was the sweetest sound. A possessive rush swept over Kalen. Her laughter should belong to him. No one else should be allowed to hear the dulcet notes of her joy. Only him.
“We’re working on his people skills,” Meridan said with a smile. He felt the same way about her smiles. They belonged to him and he refused to share. So curious.
“Earth chicks dig scars,” Vox said. “I worked hard to get that scar.”
Kalen took a spoonful of the ice cream and cake, mimicking how Meridan consumed her meal. It was unpalatably sweet. He pushed it away.
“Not a fan?” she asked. “They serve Mahdfel food here, too. You didn’t have to get exactly what I did.”
Kalen didn’t understand the need he felt to impress her. It was curious.
“Nurse Vargas?”
An adolescent male approached the table. He was Mahdfel, clearly, and tall but had not yet grown into his lanky frame. A bo staff hung at his side.
Meridan tilted her head to the side. “What is it, Reed?” At the sound of her voice, a small Mahdfel child stepped out from behind the larger child. Brothers. He clutched an awkwardly hanging arm to his chest. Unspilled tears wetted his lashes but he did not cry. He was a proper little warrior.
“Ishraam,” she said, motioning for him to step forward. She careful examined his arm. The break was obvious. “Were you sparring with your brother again?”
Ishraam nodded.
“With your master’s permission?”
Ishraam’s glanced at his brother, who paled. Neither confirmed nor denied the accusation. Meridan sighed dramatically. In that instant Kalen understood that the brothers came to her frequently with unauthorized sparring injuries. He never had a brother but he understood not wanting to be left behind. The little one desperately wished to be like his brother, to train with him. The older did not have the control or the finesse to avoid injuring the smaller.
“Fractures are simple enough,” Kalen said, rising from the table. “Let’s set the arm properly before it heals crooked.”
“I can handle this,” she said, also rising from the table.
“Of that I have no doubt, but I will carry the little warrior.”
“He can walk.” Her shoulders squared back, ready for an argument.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Quickly he tamped down any amusement. He swept up Ishraam easily, careful not to jostle his arm. “Yes, he can. And he will attract the attention of every adult, which is what he and his brother hoped to avoid by coming to you and not going straight to the medical bay.”
“And how will you carrying him avoid detection?”
“It will not but my legs are long and I walk swiftly.” Kalen fought the urge to list his other admirable features: strong back, broad shoulders, keen mind, excessive stamina, large cock… but he didn’t want to brag. Yet.
Kalen carried the child into the exam room, their party drawing little attention. He set Ishraam on the table and barked out a list of supplies.
The boy watched Kalen with large, violet eyes. He bit his lower lip but did not make a noise as the medic scanned the arm with a handheld device. The older brother stood in the corner, back straight, his face grim. He held the wooden staff tightly.
“You like Nurse Vargas,” Ishraam said.
“She is likable. For a human,” Kalen said. How he felt about Meridan was inconsequential.
Ishraam lifted his chin. “She will be my mate,” he declared. “I will challenge you if I have to.”
“I see.” Kalen stepped back from the little warrior and folded his arms, studying his opponent with a good natured smirk. “Warriors do not get to choose their mates. The match decides.”
“Nurse Vargas is mine. She has already told me that she prefers my company to any of the warriors on the base.” Pride puffed out his chest.
“She will have a long wait for you. What if she is matched to anoth
er?”
Kalen expected distress at the knowledge but Ishraam smiled triumphantly. “She is exempt. But I will be clever and have her repaired when I am of age and then we can be matched.”
“That is very clever,” Kalen said, intrigued by Meridan’s exemption. What was the nature of the exemption? Surely not a child. She did not have the scent of a mother or a mate. Medical, then. Some condition disqualified her. Was it treatable? If yes, why was the defect not repaired?
The scan finished, dragging Kalen away from his thoughts. The health of the attractive nurse did not matter. He was not on the Terran lunar base to woo a mate. He had no time for a mate and would return to the Judgment in only a handful of days. “Wiggle your fingers for me,” he said.
Ishraam did so.
“Move your wrist like this.” Kalen flexed his wrist. Ishraam mimicked, wincing.
Meridan returned, arms laden with equipment. Kalen couldn’t help the way his eyes followed the swing of her hips. Or the intriguing way the simple blue fabric strained at the front of her chest. The little warrior had good taste.
“How did this happen?” he asked.
“I fell,” Ishraam said. His eyes were trained on Meridan, too.
A warm smile spread across her face and she gave an affectionate rub of her knuckles across the top of his head. Jealousy flared in Kalen. How silly to be jealous of a child.
“Funny thing about children’s bones,” Kalen said, pulling his attention away from her and back to his patient. “They’re spongy. Designed to take a beating, certainly more than simple fall.” He glanced back at the older brother, Reed. “Does that staff belong to your father?”
Kalen: Warlord Brides (Warriors of Sangrin Book 2) Page 2